The present invention generally relates to combines that pull an integrated powered and steerable grain trailer for extra storage capacity, and more particularly to a grain handling assembly therefor.
A much-improved grain handling assembly is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,910,845 (the '845 patent), the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference. The '845 patent discloses a generally horizontally disposed first grain movement assembly pivotally connected within the combine grain bin and pivotally connected within the grain cart bin and disposed for reciprocally transporting grain between the combine grain bin and the grain cart bin. A generally vertically disposed second grain movement assembly is cooperatively operable with the first grain movement assembly for transferring grain from the grain cart bin to the first grain movement assembly and thence to the combine grain bin. An off-loading grain movement assembly is disposed for off-loading grain only from the combine grain cart.
While the '845 patent concept is a fine advancement in the art, it was quite unexpectedly discovered that when the combine's wheels dipped down into an 18 inch depression in the field, that the geometry of the grain movement assembly resulted in the grain cart end of the horizontal conveyor assembly moving vertically around 5 feet. The design in the '845 patent does not accommodate such a large vertical displacement of the horizontal grain conveyor; hence, the present improvement to the '845 grain conveyor system.